“I was wondering that myself,” Bud said.
Tom was thoughtful as they reached the Challenger’s landing platform.
“Perhaps our space friends used a highly focused directional beam,” he mused.
“If so, that would explain it.”
Once inside, the boys were besieged with excited questions from Arv, Ted, and the crew.
178 SPACE SOLARTRON
Tom reported his parley with the kidnapers, and his plan to rescue Mr. Swift.
Everyone cheered.
“Now I must find out from the space people where to pick up Dad,” Tom concluded.
The young inventor hurried to the radio room, accompanied by Bud, and beamed out a query over the ship’s powerful transmitter. Moments later, the reply from his space friends began flashing on the oscilloscope.
Tom translated the mathematical symbols from memory, scribbling words at top speed. The complete message read:
SPACESHIP WITH YOUR FATHER ABOARD IS HEADED ON COURSE TO
ORBIT AROUND VENUS. SPEED 40,500 MILES PER HOUR.
“Wow!” Bud gasped. “Forty thousand, five hundred miles per hour! Any chance of catching it?”
Tom nodded. “I’m sure we can, even though the rocket has a head start of about six hours. The Challenger can hit faster speeds than that and also, unlike rockets, can accelerate for long periods of time.”
“Let’s see,” said Bud. “How far away from the earth is Venus?”
“It can be as close as twenty-six million miles, or as far as a hundred and nineteen million miles.”
“Some trip we’re about to make!” Bud commented.
“It’s all right, pal.” Tom chuckled, slapping his friend on the back. “With our matter maker